Hen-house



j. j UNrrnn Startins* @Partnr @errent l sAMunn Rawson, or rnonm, runners.

HSN-House.

, SPGIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,307, dated November 27, i883.`

Application filed May 12, 1583. (Model.)

To all whom, 25 may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Rawson, acitizen of thefUnited States, residing at Peoria, in the county of' Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful `Improvements in Hen-Housesgland I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of' reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a top view of `the upper board removed, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the saine, taken on lines w :e of' Fig.

Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 is an end view.

i the side\of the doorway,

This invention has relation to automatically "opening and closing boxes adapted to contain the nests of hens, geese, and other f'owls; and the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices, all as hereinafter set forth.

f In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designatesA the box, which is usually made rectangular in form.

y, B and G indicate the side walls of and D the front wall, having the doorwayT E.

F represents the door, which is hinged at and is usually constructed of strips or bars having intervals between them, to afford light to the passage-way back ofthe door. The door is provided with a movable shutter-grate, G, which can be opl erated to close the openings a in the door when l desired.

`From the front wall of the box extends, to-

ward the rea-r thereof, partition, H, the rear end of which is separated from the rear wall i `of the box by an interval,b, of sufficient size `to allow the hen to pass by the rear end of the `partition to the nest-chamber, which islocated on the other side thereof. l

y K represents the nest, whichis usually separated from the rear aisle, L, by a vertical board, b', of sufficient height to prevent the escape of a very young chicken from the nest; or the board b may be made lower, if thought preferable. The nest may be raised above the floor of the box.

the box,

The top of the box above the passage-way back of' the door is permanently secured, as

indicated at c, and to this portion "is hinged the cover d of the nest-chamber, which may bei'astened down by means of a hook and staple or other common fastening.

Below the cover d is located the ventilatorf cover e, which is constructed wit-h` air-openings, and rests upon interior ledges. This interior ventilator-cover is removable, and, when in place, is securedby means of pivoted hooks h at the corners ofthe box. The ventilatorcover is used insu mm er-time, thehinged glazed.

At the upper and middle portionof the partition H is pivoted an arm or lever, N, which projects transversely over the passage-way M, in the bottom portion of which passage-way is located the tilting treadle T, which is pivoted at its middle port-ion above the` licor of the passage, and forms the bearing on which the hen or other fowl walks in moving along said passage.

I? indicates a coupling, which is pivoted to a projection, r, at the top of the door, and, extending back, is pivoted at its rear end tothe lever-arm, N. n

To the rear end of the treadle is connected, at one corner thereof, a cord, s, whichextends upward over a corner pulley or bearing, t, and around a horizontal pulley or bearing, o, to the lever-arm N. This arm is provided with a rounded bearing, w, and with a key, e, to which the end of the cord s is attached, said cord passing around the bearing w. The cord may be tightened or loosened by turning the key. A similar key, e, is provided in the arm N for the cord s, which passes around the IQl cords s and s are usually adjusted with equal tension, sovthat when the door is open the front end of the treadle will be depressed and the rear end raised, the lever-arm N being at ,the saine time inclined obliquely -forward.

Then the door is closed, the rear end ot' the treadle will be depressed and the front end raised, the lever-arm being pulled backward. rlhe treadle and door should be made of proper weight and size for the fowl which is to use the nest. The door being open, the fowl enters upon the treadle, and, walking to the rear end of it, bears it down by its weight at this end, operating the lever-arm to close the door. rlhe fowl can now go on the nest without being disturbed. \Vhen she desires toleave the box, she can only get out by crossing the treadle to the front end, or the reverse of the direction in which she entered, causing it to descend, whereby the door is opened through the operation of the cord s' and the lever-arm. If desired, the cord s may be loosened, so that the operation ofthe treadle will close the door, but will not open it. the cord s is loosened, the cord s being ad j usted as before, the treadle, when operated, will open the door, but will not close it.

If, on the other hand, E

The box is usually provided with van autoinatielat'oh, V, designed to engage a projection or catch, R, on the door. The latch is provided with a pivoted prop, a', which can be set to hold the latch up out of engagement. YV hen it is desiredto compel the fowl to remain in the box, the prop is turned off, so that the latch will operate. In this manner a convenient trap is provided whereby a hen can be caught in a few minutes.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,`

The device for automatically closing and opening the door, consisting of the treadle T, pulleys t, o, w, and t', thehinged arms N and l), and the cord s, attached at its respective ends to opposite ends of the tilting treadle andvearried around the said pulleys, which are located above the entrance-passage, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL RAVSON.

\Vi tn esses:

A. S. liinmsrr,

UY DAvIs. 

